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Devianza, leading artist and owner of the label, returns to production by launching a new series of single-sided vinyl releases, each featuring only two tracks. The first instalment is a sonic catharsis rising from the very depths of a generous land, abundant with new seeds ready to sprout.

‘Le Piante di Elena’ is a dreamlike homage to a primordial world — untouched, pure, and still fertile. A tribute to a newborn bearer of the most radical values of a necessary humanism: a call to return to nature in its most spiritual and purest form. Devianza appears to be evolving into a higher, more spiritual dimension, where spirituality itself becomes the guiding force behind his musical production.

The single side opens with ‘Betullae’, a hypnotic ride between deep and leftfield, characteristic of Devianza’s sound, but this time enriched with an Indian tonal and modal flavour. Forest landscapes are traced by piano motifs that evoke interstellar journeys among endless birch trees.

‘Sunflower Sunset’ continues the hypnotic drift with a melodic crescendo that conjures the image of a sunflower field bathed in the warm glow of a summer sunset without wind. Here, where everything stands still yet everything is, this eight-minute piece becomes proof of the rarefaction of time — an instant that, though fleeting, feels infinite.

For fans of: Donato Dozzy, Voices From The Lake, Luigi Tozzi, Claudio PRC.
Related labels: Spazio Disponibile, Hypnus, Semantica, Silent Season.

Two amazing jams! The Perpetual Singers are a collective of gospel singers from Amsterdam - both songs produced by Arp Frique.

Supported by Gilles Peterson, Louie Vega, Antal, Lerato, Tama Sumo, Palms Trax, Gigi Testa, Hunee, Coco Maria, Josh FB + + +

"Hot Love It" - Lerato
"Amaaaazing" - Tama Sumo
"Ah amazing!" - Palms Trax

The Chicago trio of Black Duck is a natural fit for collaboration with acclaimed Basque musician Elena Setién. Black Duck"s bassist/guitarist Douglas McCombs, guitarist Bill MacKay and drummer Charles Rumback have been lauded for their adaptability as live performers and collaborators for decades, performing in countless ensembles from Tortoise to Brokeback to collaborations with Ryley Walker, Bill Callahan, James Singleton and many more. Setién honed her improvisational skills in duo Little Red Suitcase before going on to collaborate with the likes of Steve Gunn, Mary Lattimore, and Glenn Kotche (Wilco) to name a few. Black Duck and Elena Setién"s combined preternatural ability to converse at the boundaries of improvisation and composition makes for fertile ground in which every subtle gesture carries weight. On their debut, self-titled collaborative release, Black Duck and Elena Setién alchemize the ease of their live chemistry and their wealth of experience into a refined menagerie.

Ltd B2B DJ MIX immortalised on a limited edition cassette tape.
No Re-print

Once They're Gone They're Gone...

Devianza, leading artist and owner of the label, returns to production by launching a new series of single-sided vinyl releases, each featuring only two tracks. The first instalment is a sonic catharsis rising from the very depths of a generous land, abundant with new seeds ready to sprout.

‘Le Piante di Elena’ is a dreamlike homage to a primordial world — untouched, pure, and still fertile. A tribute to a newborn bearer of the most radical values of a necessary humanism: a call to return to nature in its most spiritual and purest form. Devianza appears to be evolving into a higher, more spiritual dimension, where spirituality itself becomes the guiding force behind his musical production.

The single side opens with ‘Betullae’, a hypnotic ride between deep and leftfield, characteristic of Devianza’s sound, but this time enriched with an Indian tonal and modal flavour. Forest landscapes are traced by piano motifs that evoke interstellar journeys among endless birch trees.

‘Sunflower Sunset’ continues the hypnotic drift with a melodic crescendo that conjures the image of a sunflower field bathed in the warm glow of a summer sunset without wind. Here, where everything stands still yet everything is, this eight-minute piece becomes proof of the rarefaction of time — an instant that, though fleeting, feels infinite.

For fans of: Donato Dozzy, Voices From The Lake, Luigi Tozzi, Claudio PRC.
Related labels: Spazio Disponibile, Hypnus, Semantica, Silent Season.

Recorded live at Café OTO, London
Friday, 7 March 2025, as part of Valentina Magaletti’s residency takeover

Mixed by Lottie Lou Poulet at Wysing Polyphonic Studio

Cassette duplication by Tapeline, UK (using recycled plastic)
Plastic covers by TAPE MUZIK, Leipzig

Cover materials:
Organic white cotton gabardine, hand-burnt white paper, Japanese washi tape, printed tracing paper.

Impressed präsentiert den Soundtrack zu "Memoir Of A Snail" (2024), einem australischen Stop-Motion-Animationsfilm des Oscar-prämierten Animators Adam Elliot, auf einer extravaganten 180g Golden-Swirl-Picture Disc mit nummeriertem Obi-Strip. Der von Elena Kats-Chernin komponierte und vom Australian Chamber Orchestra eingespielte OST mischt meisterlich klassische und zeitgenössische Arrangements, die in ihrer Dynamik die emotionale Reise des Films widerspiegeln. Die 42 Tracks sind sowohl zart wie kraftvoll, mit sanften Klavierpassagen, satten Streichern und einer insgesamt skurril-bittersüssen Stimmung. Kritiker loben den Soundtrack dafür, wie schön er durch seinen mühelosen Wechsel zwischen nachdenklichen, intimen Momenten und dramatischen Passagen das Herz des Films einfängt.

Impressed proudly presents the soundtrack to Memoir of a Snail, a 2024 Australian stop-motion animated film directed by Academy Award-winning animator Adam Elliot, on a very special golden swirl picture disc.

The film follows the story of Grace Pudel, a quirky, book-loving misfit with a passion for collecting snails, whose world unravels when she is separated from her twin brother, Gilbert. As she faces challenges, Grace finds unexpected hope and inspiration in a heartwarming friendship with Pinky, an eccentric and wise elderly woman. Together, they embark on a journey of self-discovery, proving that even in the most difficult times, connection and courage can shine through.

Composed by Elena Kats-Chernin, and performed by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the soundtrack masterfully blends classical, contemporary, and emotionally dynamic arrangements to mirror the film's emotional journey. This 42-track record is both delicate and powerful, with soft piano passages, rich strings, and an overall mood that is whimsically bittersweet.

Critics have lauded the soundtrack for how it beautifully captures the heart of the film through its effortless flow between reflective intimate moments and dramatic passages.

Chasing dopamine in free fall through a burning world. Looks that make you want to go swimming, even though you know you're going to drown. Where is my value? Who do I want to be? And who do I definitely not want to be?



Mental health, body positivity, queerness, sexualized violence and self-determination: Elena Rud sings about these things, loud and wild. With a voice that sometimes seems on the verge of breaking and then hangs deep in the ear canal again. As raspy as after a handful of cigarettes. So distinctive that you will recognize them again and again from a big bunch of newcomer bands.



Because the songs go through the marrow and bone. Under the skin or into the heart. Maybe left in and right out, but it's good in between. Because you feel that you're no longer quite so alone with yourself and this shitty world.

Mental Health, Body Positivity, Queerness, sexualisierte Gewalt und Selbstbestimmung: Elena Rud singt von diesen Dingen, laut und wild. Mit einer Stimme, die mal kurz vorm Wegbrechen scheint und dann wieder ganz tief im Gehörgang hängt. So kratzig wie nach einer Handvoll Selbstgedrehten. So markant, dass man sie aus einem großen Haufen Newcomer-Bands immer und immer wieder erkennen wird.
Mittlerweile hat Elena ein Rudel aus vier Jungs dazu gewonnen. Ein Rudel, das seiner Frontfrau nicht nur den Rücken stärkt, sondern sich auch gegen die toxischen Ideale wehrt, an denen sie selbst gemessen werden - für mehr Schwäche, Unsicherheit und GlitzerMakeup statt Dominanz, Unterdrückung und Aggression. Auch in Sachen Sound. Die fünf Münchner:innen klingen ehrlich, tanzbar und wild. Nach Indie-Rock und Punk. Oder nach NDW

Als Max Richter sein Bestseller-Album VIVALDI RECOMPOSED im Herbst 2012 zum ersten Mal veröffentlichte, war die Wirkung unvergleichlich. Nie zuvor hatte man eines der beliebtesten Werke der Klassik, Vivaldis Vier Jahreszeiten, so gehört.

Seither begeisterte Max Richter weltweit ein Millionenpublikum mit seinem »Vivaldi für das 21. Jahrhundert« (DIE ZEIT) und berührte damit nicht nur jene, die das Original in- und auswendig kennen und lieben, sondern auch völlig neue Generationen von Hörern, sei es in Konzerten, Filmen oder Serien, wie in den Netflix-Erfolgsformaten Bridgerton oder The Crown.

Gemeinsam mit Musikern des Chineke! Orchestra und der brillanten Violinistin Elena Urioste taucht er nun noch tiefer in die faszinierende Klangwelt des bahnbrechenden Werks ein. Die neue Version THE NEW FOUR SEASONS spielen sie auf originalen Streichinstrumenten aus Vivaldis Zeit und der »Stradivari unter den Synthesizern« – einem frühen Moog aus den 70er-Jahren.

»Die Klangpalette von Vivaldi in der neuen Partitur zu hören, war außergewöhnlich – es war wie ein Feuerwerk.« Max Richter
Das Ergebnis ist eine einzigartige musikalische Reise durch Max Richters absolute Meisterwerke, die nun gänzlich neu in den schillernden Farben des Barocks glänzen. Er selbst zitiert dazu John Cage: »Als Künstler ist unser Geschäft die Neugier«, und kommentiert: »Das trifft es, finde ich. Bei kreativer Arbeit geht
es darum, Dinge zu entdecken, von denen man nicht wusste, dass es sie gibt.«

Basque artist Elena Setién shapes the ethereal
into the immediate on the stunningly pristine songs
of ‘Unfamiliar Minds’. Her command of melody and
resolute voice are complemented by lush
arrangements that surround the listener in a world
of intimate beauty.
 Setién is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist,
collaborator and improviser, having worked with
artists like Mary Lattimore and Steve Gunn, as well
as composing for film and television.
 On ‘Unfamiliar Minds’, Setién reflects on isolation
and confusion and harnesses uncertainty with
optimism on ten ghostly wonders that capture
ineffable feelings in radiant detail.
 Produced by Xabier Erkizia, with whom Setién also
composed ‘Mirande’ and the soundtrack for
‘Altsasu’, a 2020 Basque TV miniseries.
 Mastered by Denmark’s RedRedPaw Mastering
(Oh Wonder, Colleen).
 LP with full colour inner sleeve and lyrics plus
digital download card.
 “Her songwriting invites curious listeners in, adding
texture and complexity where we may not have
found it ourselves.” - Pitchfork
 “Confident and auspicious... Setién masterfully
creates a musical space to cultivate social
progress.” - PopMatters (9/10)

Kapote presents: ITALOMANIA Vol. 4.

Toy Tonics Italomania Vol. 4 is a compilation dedicated to new ITALIAN DISCO. Not ITALO DISCO.

10 new tracks made by young producers from Italy, exclusively made for Toy Tonics. All songs with Italian vocals.

Made with a lot of love by

Cleeeo, Giorgio Lopez, Magnolia, Juan Soto & Sam Ruffillo, KOKO, Luca Averna, Ricardo Baez, Euro Nettuno, The Cube Guys and Paccone.

The Italomania compilation was initiated by Mathias ‚Kapote‘ Modica. Creative mind behind Toy Tonics and half italian producer himself.

The series is a manifesto to show the status of Italian disco of today.

Kapote invited the most relevant producers to show different new styles of modern Italian disco and house music.

With a wide range of influence: Live disco, indie dance, italo pop, and italo house.

Italian disco is not Italo disco. The last few years saw a big revival of the trashy pop music of the 1980s called Italo disco, mostly with English lyrics.

But this compilation is about something else. It is about this new Italian disco. Toy Tonics wants to show a new way to combine Italianity with dance culture.

The Italomania Vol. 4 Artists

Cleeeo - Come Tocchitu: A sexy and sophisticated disco house track by 22 year old newcomer DJ and producer Cleeeo. Driven by a warm, uplifting groove and strong dancefloor energy. The record is dedicated to Brazil. The vocals move between Italian and Portuguese. This creates a natural bridge between two cultures.

Giorgio Lopez - Italiani Brava Gente: Giorgio Lopez is an important player from the much talked about new music scene from Napoli.

For "Italiani Brava Gente," he teams up with Los Angeles artist Sueño. The track is a tongue-in-cheek take on the stereotypical Italian male. It pays homage to late Italodisco legend Pino D’Angiò. The story unfolds from the perspective of a foreign tourist navigating the contradictions of self-proclaimed Casanovas.

The Cube Guys - Saper Ringraziare: The legendary italo house duo shows their Italian vibes and musical taste with “Saper Ringraziare”. The track captures the warmth of summer and the infinity of urban nights. A combination of early Italo disco elements mixed with their typical groovy beats.

Magnolia - Vesuvio: Magnolia’s “Vesuvio” is a cover version of a song from the 1960s by artist E’ Zezi. While the original is more in a folk vibes, the new version is an irresistible piano house track with groovy, sun-soaked vibes. It is made for the dance floor. This track blends Mediterranean roots with the euphoric energy of modern house. Some might know the vocals already from another cover version by Nu Genea from the previous album.

Juan Soto & Sam Ruffillo - Italomexicano: What happens when a Toy Tonics artist hangs out in Mexico city and teams up with the local scene? The result is here. A blend a Toy Tonics sound and tons of vintage synthesizers and some additional production by Mexican producer talent Juan Soto.

You get "Italomexicano". A fuse of the mystique of Mexican mariachi with the magnetic pulse of Italo disco.

KOKO feat. Elena Moroder - I Can't Understand: This melancholic piano house track is a serious floorfiller! Goosebumps! Italian DJ and producer KOKO teams up with Elena Moroder on "I Can’t Understand". Elena delivers a captivating vocal performance. The track explores the misunderstandings of a relationship where emotions were never fully expressed. It blends an iconic piano melody with warm, uplifting grooves.

Luca Averna - Le Luci Della Pista: Luca Averna is a DJ, producer, and resident at the iconic Pikes Hotel in Ibiza. "Le Luci Della Pista" is an energetic track designed for peak-time Ibiza moments while keeping a strong groove and a playful spirit.

Ricardo Baez - È Venerdì: Ricardo Baez is an Italian-Venezuelan DJ and producer. He is known for his distinctive blend of house, dark electro, italo disco, and leftfield electronics. Well respected in Italy's contemporary electronic scene he has been releasing on labels such as Running Bag, Permanent Vacation, Bordello a Parigi, Correspondant, Mule music, Live at Robert Johnson.

Euro Nettuno - La Notte Chiama: These guys are hot! Part of the Polyamore Crew, one of the rising italian new disco collectives their sound mixes Italo house from the 1990ies, electro and Pop in a very cool new way.

Paccone - J'Adore Napoli: Vincenzo Paccone is a DJ, producer but also very renowned graphic designer. He is co-founder of NSS. A fashion agency that is by now one of the leading italian fashion crews. He has been also working as a designer for Circoloco Ibiza for many years and organizes some of the hottest parties in Napoli currently. He makes his official debut as a producer with “J’Adore Napoli”. It is a vibrant tribute to the house music culture born in Naples. The track draws inspiration from the late 1990s and early 2000s. And is part of a NSS campaign about the ’new coolness of the city of Napoli“.

Elena Tonra belebt ihr Soloprojekt Ex:Re neu und prasentiert mit "Save As" ein tief emotionales, atmospharisches Album. Hypnotische Gitarren, intime Erinnerungen und Tonras unverwechselbare Stimme formen Songs, die wie innere Reisen wirken. Die Single "Radio Station" zeigt ihre Fahigkeit, personliche Fragmente in eindringliche Klangwelten zu verwandeln. "Save As" knupft an die rohe Intensitat ihres Debuts an und offnet erneut einen Raum fur radikale Ehrlichkeit und beruhrende Selbstreflexion.

Elena Tonra belebt ihr Soloprojekt Ex:Re neu und prasentiert mit "Save As" ein tief emotionales, atmospharisches Album. Hypnotische Gitarren, intime Erinnerungen und Tonras unverwechselbare Stimme formen Songs, die wie innere Reisen wirken. Die Single "Radio Station" zeigt ihre Fahigkeit, personliche Fragmente in eindringliche Klangwelten zu verwandeln. "Save As" knupft an die rohe Intensitat ihres Debuts an und offnet erneut einen Raum fur radikale Ehrlichkeit und beruhrende Selbstreflexion.

A native of the island nation of Cape Verde, Cesaria Evora was known as the country's foremost practitioner of the morna, a combination of West African percussion with Portuguese fados, Brazilian modinhas, and British sea shanties. After a short singing career in the 1970’s, she returned in the late ‘80s with a string of critically acclaimed and increasingly popular albums.

Her 1999 album Café Atlantico (a reference to her home where she frequently entertained guests) is a much-acclaimed masterpiece, finding Evora venturing into more Latin American musical landscapes, as opposed to Portuguese, which dominated her previous albums. Evora draws from traditional Cuban and Brazilian music to mesmerizing effect. The music is heart-breaking and nostalgic, warm and tragic all at once.

Café Atlantico is available on black vinyl and includes an insert with lyrics.

16 bongo bashin' tropic-trashin' mambo-shmambo monsteros!!
Everybody likes a bit of LATIN. It's steamy. It's tropical. It's hot. It gets the dames a-dancin' and the guys pay attention. Those wild rhythms are the sound of sweat. It's the heat that can't be beat.

Now let me tell you about LATIN. Real LATIN, bangin' LATIN. Not the sweet soft stuff your mama used to play. I'm talkin' hard bangin' LATIN that's the real deal. The stuff that makes you move. The motion of the ocean. Hot, wild, sexy rhythms. Skin slappin' coconut crackin' conga crushin' caliente copana. And horns to die for!!

You got your rhumba, your mambo, you got your cha cha cha. You got your Cuban heat, Brasilian beat, colourful Colombian cumbia and pure fire from all those little islands in the Caribbean. You cut 'em, you chop 'em, you cook 'em on up with a slug of jazz and some downhome RnB and you got yourself the devil's own firecracker. It's a sauce like liquid lava. It's LATIN that's off the scale.

Now you add your mezcal, your Carolina Reaper, you add yourself whatever you want, and that right there is a volcano in a bottle. Krakatoa ain't got nothin' on this baby! Put the needle on the record, watch your dancefloor EXPLODE!

White Mechatronica returns.
Introducing Cold Voltage - a new series wired for tension, circuitry, and raw machine emotion. This first volume sets the tone: cold, direct, and built for dark rooms.

On the A-side, Elena Siziva opens with "The Balls", an experimental descent of bouncing basslines and cavernous synth textures. Filmmaker follows, delivering his unmistakable dark wave electro signature - sharp, shadowed, and hypnotic. Violet Position & Echo Protocol close the side with "Into the Silent Blue", an electro vocal cut designed to ignite the floor.

Flip to the B-side: Jennifer Touch strikes with "Don't", a rolling, snare-driven machine track that hits without warning. Mr. Funghi pushes further into EBM/Techno territory with "Off for the Weekend", a relentless piece built to tear down walls. Closing the release, The Spy delivers "Track Reaper", a dramatic Italo wave finale that lingers long after the last note fades.

After years of shaping dancefloors worldwide and carefully curating the sonic and visual identity of Up The Stuss, Dutch favourite Chris Stussy presents his most expansive and personal statement to date with his debut album, ‘Lost, Found & Forgotten...’. Landing on 3rd April, the album unfolds across three interconnected chapters - ‘Lost’, ‘Found’, and ‘Forgotten’ - each revealing a different side of his creative world across 19 tracks while remaining tethered to a singular wider vision.

At its core, ‘Lost, Found & Forgotten...’ is an exploration of creative freedom. Visually and conceptually guided by the image of a kite, the album reflects movement, perspective, and balance. Floating freely yet always anchored, the kite mirrors Chris’s approach to music: unrestricted in emotion and imagination, but grounded in groove, craftsmanship, and intention. It’s a symbol that naturally extends the Up The Stuss identity; pointing skyward, embracing openness, and encouraging curiosity.

“This album has been a long time in the making, and I’m excited to finally share it with you. The process behind it - exchanging ideas with other artists and creating music outside of my comfort zone - has been an incredible experience. It gave me a true sense of freedom, allowing me to not think about boundaries or expectations. I’ve never been more proud of a project than this one. It’s deeply personal, and it represents my sound as a whole. I hope you listen with an open mind and find something in it that resonates with you.” - Chris Stussy.

The ‘Lost’ chapter opens the album by giving new life to music once left behind. These are tracks written across different moments in Chris’s journey, ideas that never quite found a home until now. Rather than relics of the past, they emerge re-discovered, refined, and fully realised. ‘

Found’ represents inspiration in motion. Sparked by collaboration, digging, and shared creative exchange, this chapter captures the moment when ideas connect, and colour floods the sky.

The album closes with ‘Forgotten’ - a nod to the deeper cuts, the B-sides, and the moments that reward patience. This chapter is for the heads and diggers; tracks that may not demand immediate attention but reveal their value over time.

Haino sings. Hasunuma plays. It’s a minimal framework, but what emerges is a boundary-blurring sonic exploration. Across the album, Haino’s voice threads through Hasunuma’s layered soundscapes built from analog synths, electric guitar, piano, field recordings, and more. Haino entered the studio with only lyrics in hand, improvising melodies in response to Hasunuma’s evolving arrangements. The result is a work of deep trust, intuition, and sonic tension.

Keiji Haino and Shuta Hasunuma’’s creative connection began in 2017 with an impromptu performance in Shibuya—Hasunuma on a Buchla modular synthesizer, Haino responding with the Japanese national anthem, “Kimigayo.” That moment sparked their unlikely collaboration.

In 2018 Haino appeared at the Hasunuma-organized event “MUSIC TODAY IN KYOTO” at Rohm Theater, alongside Nobukazu Takemura, Manami Kakudo, Elena Tutatchikova, Kukangendai among others. In September 2021 during the pandemic, the two performed "U　　　　　　　TA" for the first time at in Shibuya. They began planning the album soon afterwards.

For the recording of U　　　　　　　TA, Haino entered the studio with only the lyrics in hand, with no knowledge of what sounds Hasunuma would produce. Responding to Hasunuma’s music in real time, Haino composed the melodies and layered in his voice on the spot. With additional sessions at Hasunuma’s private studio and Haino’s preferred studio, the album was completed.

All melody and vocals by Keiji Haino
All instrument, written, played, arranged, mixed and produced by Shuta Hasunuma
Recorded by zak at st-robo studio, Shuta Hasunuma at Studio i.M.O and windandwindows
Mastered by Rashad Becker at clunk
Production Management: Eishin Yoshida, Kento Ono (windandwindows)
For Temporal Drift: Yosuke Kitazawa, Patrick McCarthy
Art Direction: Aiko Koike
Special Thanks to Toshihiko Kasai, Ryoichi Kiyomiya, zAk, Yumiko Ohno
license

Con todo el freestyle que el funk puede tener Igor Gil conocido como Mailu nos entrega su debut álbum en 12” “Martian Princess Arrives”
Nada nos hace más felices en Sofa Tunes que descubrir nuevos artistas al gran público, aunque Mailu ya es de la casa hace muchos años. Las primeras impresiones sobre la tierra de esta ordinaria princesa marciana están recogidas en clave de funk electrónico en un maravillosos 12” cuyo artworks corre a cargo de la ilustradora Elena Vera. Una plástica más propia de Herbie Hancock, Clavinet o Rhodes, Slap Bass son los ingredientes que Mailu este maravilloso teclista ha utilizado para poner banda sonora a este aterrizaje marciano.
Esta colección de 10 tracks nos trasladan al lounge bar más bizarro de la galaxia. 10 temas con abruptos finales extraidos de los cálidos lives del artista navarro.
1er Single: Que asco “Original Mix”

Following on from the celebrated first instalment, the second part of The Male Body Will Be Next compiles an entourage of daring sonic experiments, composed in response to bell hooks’ landmark book The Will to Change. Prompting artists and musicians to envision cross-gender solidarity, Osàre! Editions founder Elena Colombi presents an enrapturing, narrative album, conceptualised around collective transformation.

Resonating with hooks’ challenge to men to reclaim the sensitivity that patriarchy denies them, the name of the record arises from a photograph by Peter de Potter and Rebecca Salvadori’s film of the same title. In these depictions, naked flesh is exposed, made vulnerable and trembles with emotion as the fragility of masculine bodies are examined through the queer and female oppositional gaze. Transforming this visual language into musical expression, The Male Body Will Be Next swirls with punk vitriol, electrified noise, acid, electro and free-wheeling encounters charged by love, lust and limerence.

Gently plunking chords signal Pose Diva’s reimagining of lover’s rock before Sissy Fuss smashes in with a heavy-weight instrumental version of their erotic anthem ‘No Restraint’.
Made up of Turkish musician Etkin Çekin and Belarussian songstress Galina Ozeran, God is God delivers a gentle lullaby, while Low End Activist flirts with dark and brooding bass, shattering penetrating frequencies into luminous fragments. Riffing off the 2020 documentary about female early electronica pioneers, Loma Doom crafts a slowly oscillating drone zenith, the ultimate climax. In line with the conceptual underpinning, there are plenty of collaborations – Daytripper’s Riva and Sitar player Tommy Khosla, Lebanonese experimentalist N R and Swiss-French producer John Silvestre (AKA Typhon), as well as Colombi herself and trans author/activist Juno Roche. Within these partnerships, new modalities come alive as mediums, practices and perspectives are ignited and pushed in otherworldly, metamorphic directions.

Allchival present their second look at the music of Roger Doyle and Operating Theatre (a little known proto synth-pop act and experimental theatre group that he led.)

In reverse chronological order the second disc contains music from the United Dairies release of 1979 – ‘Rapid Eye Movements’. Experimental tape work heavily influenced by the French school of music concretists and recorded at various points during the 70s in Finland, Holland and Ireland, although it is most certainly a Roger Doyle solo record the label ran by Nurses With Wounds John Fothergill decided to release it under the group name for reasons now lost to the fog of time.

After this a volte-face towards a more accessible sound, coming via his friendship with future Hollywood actress Olwen Fouéré and her connection to the theatre. It also featured the vocals of a young Spanish immigrant Elena López- bucking the 80’s trend by moving to rather than from Dublin. With Fouéré adding the theatrical element to the group (an almost essential part of any early 80s synth act) alongside pulsing synths, brass, a vocoder and the electro acoustic production talents of Doyle himself, it was the first time a Fairlight sampler was used in an Irish studio setting and gives a prescient but alternative take on the new wave sound that came to dominate the charts soon after.
Doyle’s work on the newly released Fairlight sampler had brought him to the attention of U2’s Bono who had seen a feature about his sampling experimentations and reached out to him for piano lessons. This led to a deal on the bands embryonic Mother records for what Doyle calls his first “popular song” - Queen of No Heart - which alongside “Spring is Coming” made up the backbone of the EP which was released some years later (1986) on the Mother Records label. Established by U2 in 1984 and initially intended to launch Irish bands, many of the acts – including this one – were subsequently unhappy about the label’s haphazard approach to releases and lack of promotion. The record was released as a die cut 7 inch with the two main tracks and a 12 inch EP with additional tracks – ‘Part of My Make-Up’ / ‘Atlantean’ / ‘Satanasa’. The Mother experience was for Doyle and the rest of the group a frustrating one with no promotional plan and no tour. After that Operating Theatre as a quasi pop project ‘just kind of fizzled out’ says Doyle.

Doyle, the musical maverick at the heart of the act, continues to produce to this day and has released 30 albums. A frequent collaborator we round out the record with a remix from another Irish outsider - Morgan Buckley of the Wah Wah Wino fame.

Syncrophone proudly presents 'Proceed with Caution' by Detroit's Filthiest. This 4-track catalog masterpiece is a rhythmic exploration, featuring infectious funk-infused beats and a distinctive style that pays homage to the city's illustrious musical heritage. Detroit's Filthiest seamlessly blends tradition with innovation, creating an electrifying experience that echoes the Motor City's iconic sound.

Feedbacks :

Luke Slater : dope
Serge (Clone) : Sick release! Another banger from Dj Nasty!
Elena Colombi (NTS) : Check Out the Technique is great!
Lukas Wigflex (Wigflex) : wonk
Tijana T : huge fan!
Hodge (Livity Sound) : lovely
Eclair Fifi (Lucky Me / NTS) : fk yeah 5/5
Monty Luke (Rekids / Black Catalogue) : fear in your eyes is a banger
Dave Clarke (white noise radio) : Will support ! Love the first track
Marcel Dettmann : thx
Machine Woman (Take Away Jazz Records) : cool
Ben Sims : Technique is my pick, thx!
Will Hofbauer (Third Place, Wisdom Teeth, Rinse) : very slick
Blasha & Allatt (Meat Free) : Fire! Up In Smoke + Nuttin But Chedda are the ones for me :) Thanks, Steffi x
Lena Willikens (Cómeme) : Fear In Your Eyes for me!
Lauren Flax (The Lot Radio/ Young Turks / K7) : incredible EP, thanks!
David Martin (Dimensions Soundsystem) : his is superb. Love it! Thanks DM
Amy Dabbs (Shall Not Fade, Distant Horizons, SlothBoogie, ) : Beautifully sleazy - love it
Bloody Mary (Dame-Music) : track 2 :))) thanks
DMX Krew (Breakin Records / Fresh Up) : Nice trax :) Will try to fit in my December show for Rinse FM.
mi-el (NTS show) : heavy

Love Love continues the LOVLTD series with a follow up from Bristol based producer Ben Pest. In a similar vein to his previous 12" on Love Love, 'On The Three', it's an all out techno affair with 4 high powered tracks geared for destroying peak-time dancefloors.

DJ support from:

Tariq Ziyad (Life Support Machine), Doc Scott, TMSN, Alland Byallo, Vell (Boiled Wonderland Records), Manfred Reckers, Shcuro, Hassan Abou Alam, Miley Serious, Zoltan Balla, Jensen Interceptor, Luke Sanger, Mumdance, Clouds, Piezo, Elena Rioboo, Jossy Mitsu, Yorobi, Blutch, NVST, Snuffo, Om Unit, Black Cadmium, Kreggo, Prettybwoy, Gene Farris, Timothy Clerkin, Danielle Moore, Sun People, JVK, Mad Miran, Stillhead, Nala, Brown, Monotronique, Syz, Appleblim, SDR, Wes Baggaley, Hrdvsion, Marco Zenker, Hooverian Blur, Roi, Mamiko Motto, Fear E, Giant Swan, Minor Science, Extrawelt, Second Storey, Toshiki Ohta, Hudson Mohawke, Nachtbraker, Mani Festo, Radioactiveman, Formally Unknown


“Mr Pest never ceases to bring the dirt.. Always top notch and 1 step ahead.. :) Proper”

Young Mikos Debütalbum „att.“ festigte ihren Status als aufstrebender Latin-Star. Zu den zentralen Tracks zählen „wiggy“, „offline“ feat. Feid und „ID“ feat. Jowell & Randy. Das Album erscheint erstmals als physische Vinyl-Ausgabe.

2LP auf Neon Yellow Vinyl im Wide-Spine-Cover mit bedruckten Innenhüllen und 12" × 24"-Poster.

"Die Neuauflage zum 10-jährigen Jubiläum: Feiern Sie zehn Jahre „Ojos Del Sol“, das gefeierte Album von Y La Bamba aus dem Jahr 2016, das nun um den neuen Song „Sin Tu Amor“ erweitert und von Adam Gonsalves remastert wurde. Das Album, das von NPR zu einem der 50 besten Alben des Jahres 2016 gekürt wurde, fängt Luz Elena Mendozas einzigartige Stimme an einem strahlenden Wendepunkt ein. NPR lobte Mendoza als „eine der innovativsten und spannendsten jungen Sängerinnen der Szene“, während KEXP das Album später als „ein Werk voller Poesie, Erinnerung und Heilung“ bezeichnete. Ab sofort als limitierte Auflage von 1.000 Exemplaren auf 180 g schwerem, splatterfarbenem Vinyl vorbestellbar, inklusive eines von Luz entworfenen Posters im Format 18x24. Sichern Sie sich Ihr Exemplar, bevor sie vergriffen sind.


Im September auf Tour mit Hermanos Guitierrez.


Thu, Sep 24, 2026 - Vancouver, BC - Queen Elizabeth Theatre Sun, Sep 27, 2026 - Woodinville, WA - Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery Tue, Sep 29, 2026 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Sat, Oct 3, 2026 - Denver, CO - Mission Ballroom Mon, Oct 5, 2026 - Albuquerque, NM - Popejoy Hall Sun, Oct 18, 2026 - Austin, TX - Moody Amphitheater Tue, Oct 20, 2026 - Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom Wed, Oct 21, 2026 - Houston, TX - The Lawn at White Oak"

Repress auf goldenem Vinyl. Limitiert auf 300 Exemplare. Vergesst alles, was ihr dachtet, über Postpunk zu wissen - BERLIN 2.0 zünden die Endstufe in der Punk-Evolution. Nach dem szeneübergreifend gefeierten Debüt "Scherbenhügel" droppt die Stuttgarter Band mit "Kaltental" jetzt ein zweites Mal eine Bombe über Postpunk Germany - und mit diesem Monster eines Longplayers ist klar: Hier wird keine Welle geritten. Hier wird eine Welle ausgelöst werden. "Kaltental" ist der dystopische Soundtrack einer brennenden Welt im Endspiel kapitalistischer Ideologie, zwischen Endzeit und Aufbruch, Resignation und Kampfbereitschaft. Härter, düsterer, dringlicher. Mit einer Mischung aus rasenden Hardcore-Ausbrüchen, klassischen Rock-Elementen, Post-Hardcore-Gitarrenwänden und melodischem Endzeitpop kracht "Kaltental" unverschämt souverän durch Genremauern und zerbombt mit radikal-klarsichtigen Texten von Ausnahmesängerin Elena Wolf Gabionenzäune in Vorgärten und Köpfen "ganz normaler" Deutscher im Aufrüstungswahnsinn. Ferdinand Führer von Fieser Schwan Recordings hat "Kaltental" aufgenommen, gemixt und gemastert und in eine rohe, dröhnende Elegie verwandelt, die aber auch keine Gefangenen auf dem Dancefloor macht. Die antifaschistische Bladerunner-Jeanne d'Arc in mittelalterlicher Rüstung auf dem Cover ist dabei mehr als eine Reminiszenz an revolutionäre Frauenfiguren in Geschichte und Kunst. Das neo-retrofuturistische Artwork der Wiener Fotografin Doris Himmelbauer ist die cineastische Visualisierung eines Albums, das Gewalt, Verletzbarkeit und die Sehnsucht nach einer besseren Welt verhandelt. "Kaltental" ist Krieg. Innerlich wie äußerlich. Aber auch ein Urschrei nach Liebe und Solidarität in der unbeirrbaren Überzeugung, dass alles auch ganz anders sein kann.

Finnish jazz producer Valtteri Laurell reworks some of J Dilla’s most iconic beats into adventurous big band versions. With drummer/producer Teddy Rok (Teppo Mäkynen of Five Corners Quintet, Stance Bros. etc.), flutist extraordinaire Elena Pinderhughes and Laurell’s own 17-piece Ricky-Tick Big Band, he creates a big band album that you never thought you would hear. Using the sparse and visionary beats of J Dilla as a starting point, Laurell has composed and arranged material on top of the original versions, performed by Ricky-Tick Big Band. ”My original idea was to write very abstract big band moments, that would be like samples Dilla might have used in his work. During the process though, on some of the tracks I started to feel more of a Bob James or Henry Mancini vibe in the arrangements, so the end result is a hybrid of those worlds. Naturally, the spirit of Gil Evans and the later work of Duke Ellington is also floating in the air”. To create a strong connection with the original material, Laurell asked Dilla-aficionado and drummer/producer Teppo ”Teddy Rok” Mäkynen to work with him on the rhythmic side of the pieces. Teddy Rok also mixed the album. As a special guest star, flutist Elena Pinderhughes is featured on Won’t Do and Rico Suave Bossa Nova. Ricky-Tick Big Band, which Laurell founded in 2010 is also well on display here, with rising baritone sax star Linda Fredriksson featured on Beej-n-Dem and trumpetist Jukka Eskola featured on Y’All Ain’t Ready.

Ingrid Schmoliner moves between the genres of new music, improvised music, free jazz, and folk music. Teaming up with the member of Zeitkratzer, RANK Ensemble, PARA, and Zinc & Copper Elena Kakaliagou, they form a Duo that creates dark interpretations of ancient songs and tales. mixed by Bilgehan Ozis_Berlin mastered by Erdem Helvacioglu_New York recorded in Ocean Sound Studios_Giske/Norway by Henning Svoren and Anders Boska special thanks to Alain Alpenfeld and Konstantin Drobil for making this album happen this album is dedicated to Jutta Lange-Butenuth, to Thomas Noll and the Nordic Sea kindly supported by Trost/Human Kind Records/Bund/Land Kärnten/SKE Ingrid Schmoliner - piano,voice Elena Kakaliagou - french horn, voice Els Vandeweyer - vibraphone on TO KE Bilgehan Ozis - electronics on PERFUME

After a year of silence since the last catalog a new record is now coming to life, notes from the imaginary-world played & programmed by So-Fi.

“Mind Migration” is So-Fi’s debut release on Superluminal Recordings, four tracks inspired by unexplored old and modern techno sectors. Tribal rhythms are wildly unleashed in dialogue with obscure-spectral textures, a musical composition within its influences being reflected also by the artist’s prowess as DJ been witnessed in many clubs.

α1 ѕтrαɴɢε ѕyѕтεм
α2 ɴεѕтιɴɢ
в1 voιd ѕυɴ & ѕтorм
в2 ѕwεαтy coɴvεrѕαтιoɴѕ

Written and produced by So-Fi
Master & Cutting by Analog Cut Mastering Studio
Artwork by Cleymoore
Front cover photo by Elena Tredici
Catalog: superluminal02
©+Ⓟ Superluminal

Soul Jazz Records’ ‘Calypso – Musical Poetry in the Caribbean’ was first issued in 2014 and has been out of print for nearly 10 years. On its release ‘Calypso’ was voted one of the year’s best 50 reissues in Rolling Stone magazine and received glowing reviews in Pitchfork, The Guardian, Songlines and many more. This new edition has been fully remastered and comes as a one-off limited-edition double vinyl pressing on translucent green vinyl, complete with bespoke inners featuring extensive sleevenotes, notes on all the artists and songs featured, and original artwork and photography. The album is also available in a new card-edition CD package, also with complete notes and text.

Featuring Lord Kitchener, The Mighty Viper, Count Zebra, Lord Flea, Lord Hummingbird, King Fighter, Lord Growler, Lord Byron, Lord Ivanhoe and other members of Calypso’s aristocracy and aristocrats, the album features the music of Calypso in its many styles. Calypso is one of the most exciting and enduring forms of musical expression that first emerged at the beginning of the 20th century – swinging, persuasive rhythms, brilliantly expressive melodies, and lyrics of great humour, wisdom and wit. Here you will find music from Trinidad, birthplace of Calypso, other Caribbean islands including Jamaica and the Bahamas, as well as sounds from the style’s subsequent onwards journey including Britain, Panama and the United States. Calypsonian songs play out a role in society similar to the storytelling Griots of West Africa (and the corresponding music of Kaiso); with their own tales about popular and incredible news items, modern life, local politics all mixed up with sexual innuendo, one-upmanship, comedy and more. At its source, Calypso is intricately and inextricably bound to the social history of Trinidad and its myriad of traditions, beliefs, folklore and fables. As the music spread around the world, both from the diaspora of many of its performers as well as its commercial success, the subjects of songs similarly took on local topics.The most notable singer of Calypso in England was the Trinidadian Lord Kitchener, who came to Britain in 1948 on HMS Empire Windrush, along with fellow Calypsonians Lord Beginner and Lord Woodbine.

"Let Me Trouble" by Deborah Haslam (a pseudonym for Italian singer Elena Ferre) is a true cult classic for
Italo Disco and Cosmic/Balearic enthusiasts.
Originally released in 1984, the track features produc(on by Gianfranco Bortolo, Mauro Farina, and
Giuliano Crivellente. It stands out for its hypno(c and more "down-tempo" atmosphere compared to
commercial Italo Disco, a quality that cemented its status as a staple in Afro and Cosmic DJ sets.
Beyond the original 1984 version, the track enjoyed a "second life" in 1987 when it was remixed with an
Afro-Funk vibe and featured as the B-side of the single "Hot Stuff."
Tracklist:

Ein inspiriertes Treffen musikalischer Köpfe erzeugt eine mehrdimensionale Noir-Welt auf diesem luftig-intimen, wunderschönen Kooperationsalbum. Zugleich der Höhepunkt seiner Disciples-Trilogie, treibt Ruth Mascelli (Special Interest) zusammen mit Mary Hanson Scott die paranoiden Torch-Songs des Vorgängers "Non-Stop Healing Frequency" in noch liminalere und abgehobenere Gefilde. Die Songseite ist stärker denn je, während die FX-beschallten Rohrblatt-Klänge von Mary Hanson Scott nicht nur Ruths verführerisches Gesäusel perfekt untermalen, sondern auch ein wolkig-ambientes Klangbett für die Instrumentals bilden, die die Sequenzen zusammenhalten und zu einer wahrhaft emotional mitreißenden Reise formen. Mit Gastauftritten von Jae Matthews (Boy Harsher) und Maria Elena (Special Interest). Im Coverdesign von Brett LaBauve von der Queer-Dance-Party-Institution Gimme A Reason, New Orleans. Zu den Höhepunkten zählt die episch-sehnsuchtsvolle Power-Ballade "Haunted Hearts", das hinreißende Zeitlupen-Cover des Hi-NRG-Pop(per)-Knallers "Self Control" und die zerhackten Rhythmen von "A Lover's Theory Of Value" zwischen abgestumpftem Trip-Hop und Julee Cruise, während "Vaseline Lens" an die elegischen Klagelieder über den Niedergang auf Seite 2 des Debütalbums "A Night At The Baths" erinnert.

Returning to Die Schachtel with his fourth full-length with the label, the Genoa born, Bologna based, guitarist and electroacoustic composer, Stefano Pilia, delivers “Lacinia”, a new, immersive cycle of compositions, delving deeper into the realm of metaphysical, spiritual, and divine meaning, weaving astounding arrangements of sonority from a palette of synths, strings, brass, organ, various electroacoustic instruments, and percussion. Resting at a refined intersection of the acoustic and electroacoustic, drone, and chamber music - overwhelmingly beautiful, delicate, and bold, - “Lacinia” stands as a high-water mark in Pilia’s already remarkable and forward-looking career.

Since its founding in Milan during the early years of the new millennium, Die Schachtel has occupied a singular place in the landscape of experimental music, issuing a carefully curated body of reissues and archival releases by historically significant figures and projects like Christina Kubisch, Luciano Cilio, Marino Zuccheri, Prima Materia, Claudio Rocchi, Lino Capra Vaccina, Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza, Roland Kayn, and numerous others, balanced against bristling contemporary counterparts by the likes of Jim O'Rourke, Giovanni Di Domenico, Nicola Ratti, Luigi ArchettI, Valerio Tricoli, etc. Running like a spine through the label’s output is a deep dedication to the work of the Italian guitarist and electroacoustic composer Stefano Pilia. Now Die Schachtel returns with “Lacinia”, Pilia’s forth full-length with the label and their first release of 2024. Building on the ground of deeply personal engagement with metaphysical, spiritual, and divine meaning, explored within his previous LP with Die Schachtel, 2022’s “Spiralis Aurea”, “Lacinia” encounters the composer working in close calibration with various ensembles, including the Bologna based Ensemble Concordanze and Comunale di Bologna String Orchestra, weaving synths, strings, brass, organ, various electroacoustic instruments, and percussion into an astounding reconfiguration of immersive, contemporary minimalism that stands among Pilia’s most noteworthy releases to date. Issued by Die Schachtel in two special double vinyl editions and a CD edition, “Lacinia” features artwork by Bruno Stucchi/Dinamomilano, and is an absolute marvel that draws you in and doesn’t let go.

First emerging during the early 2000s, over the past two decades – via solo releases and numerous collations with artists like Oren Ambarchi, Valerio Tricoli, Alessandra Novaga, Z'EV, Andrea Belfi, David Grubbs, and numerous others - the Genoa born, Bologna based, guitarist and electroacoustic composer, Stefano Pilia has presented a singular voice within Italian experimental music, harnessing visceral energy and hands-on immediacy within delicately woven tapestries of sonority, each investigating the sculptural properties of sound and illuminating its relationship to space, memory, and the suspension of time. “Lacinia”, Pilia’s forth solo venture with Die Schachtel, encounters the composer reentering his longstanding practice of collaboration with various ensemble forms, including the Bologna based Ensemble Concordanze, for the albums central piece, “Lacinia Off Axis”, spinning stunning string confirmations by Pietro David Carami and Elena Maury on violin, Alessandro Savio on viola, and Mattia Cipolli on cello.

A new, important cycle of compositions by Pilia, “Lacinia” (meaning "lace" in Latin) builds upon the exploration of the metaphysical, spiritual, and divine dimensions through numbers, geometry, and the creation of tonal forms explored by 2022’s “Spiralis Aurea”, mirroring archetypal, immutable forms at the juncture of the abstract realm of mathematics and architectural structures in the physical world, expands the poetics and compositional ideas featured in its predecessor. Regraded by Pilia as both a series of individual compositions and a single work, “Lacinia” was conceived to “define a circular path (a sort of "rhizomatic lace") where the beginning and end touch, suggesting the concept of time not only as linear but also cyclical and ritualistic—an eternal return, a process of transformation where matter changes, its state changes, but without altering the invisible internal principle of mutation”, embarking upon a a series of “steps, degrees, and energetic quanta in a progression of archetypal whole numbers and transcendent creation.”

The resulting 16 tracks unfold as a series of complex sonic meditations. While deeply resonant with the minimalism of composers like Arvo Pärt, LaMonte Young, Pauline Oliveros, and Eliane Radigue, Pilia digs deep and moves far beyond the predictable tonal relationships and structures of that idiom, echoing the ancient liturgical and devotional music of composers like Gesualdo da Venosa, Monteverdi, and John Dowland, at a refined intersection of the acoustic and electroacoustic, drone, and chamber music.

Fascinatingly structured as a whole to include a number of motif returns, across which we encounter works like “Lacinia Off Axis” appearing in slightly different rendering, states, or evolutions three times, and compositions like “Eve” appearing twice in subtly different forms and arrangements - first for four oscillators, guitar and voice and then for string orchestra - as well “Maris Stella”, which similarly makes two appearances, first for horn trio, organ and percussion, and then for string orchestra, with “Lacinia” Pilia delves further into the world of chamber music than ever before, creating a deeply inward, mediative body of work the totality of which, guided by its rich string arrangements of arching, sorrowful tone, feels almost like a mass for some unproclaimed loss; simultaneously locked in the nuances of a moment, while managing to suspend time.

Perhaps most remarkable is Pilia's ability to create a remarkable sense of sonic cohesion while using such a varied number of ensembles and instrumentation. From the sprawling string arrangements delivered by Comunale di Bologna String Orchestra, under the direction of Paolo Mancini, and Ensemble Concordanze, and a flute trio (Cadux / Plectere) brilliantly played by Manuel Zurria, to pieces for sax, organ and percussion, violin duo and percussion, organ and percussion, Pilia manages to create a sense of singular, encompassing world that flows forward like a shifting stream.

Overwhelmingly beautiful, delicate, and bold, “Lacinia” is unquestionably a high-water mark in Stefano Pilia’s already remarkable, forward-looking career. Nothing short of a marvel of contemporary Minimalism that, through its shifting arrangements of harmonics, tonality, and texture draws flickering images of ancient forms of music into the present day, “Lacinia” is Issued by Die Schachtel in two special editions on double vinyl and a CD edition, featuring artwork by Bruno Stucchi/Dinamomilano. This is an immersive all-consuming listen that can’t be missed.

Eco Coloured Edition
Elena Tonra ist zwar keine passionierte Schwimmerin, aber der Sound auf dem neuen Daughter Album "Stereo Mind Game" klingt wie ein Ozean, in den man eintauchen möchte. Das dritte Album der britischen Band, gleichzeitig das erste Studioalbum seit sieben Jahren, setzt sich damit auseinander, was es bedeutet, von geliebten Menschen und auch von sich selbst getrennt zu sein - ein komplexes Thema. Daughter, das Trio bestehend aus Elena Tonra, Igor Haefeli und Remi Aguilella - wurde 2010 gegründet. Nach der Veröffentlichung von zwei Studioalben, "If You Leave" (2013) und "Not to Disappear" (2016), und dem Videospiel-Soundtrack Music "From Before the Storm" (2017), beschlossen sie, eine Auszeit voneinander zu nehmen. Kurz zuvor jammten sie allerdings noch gemeinsam in Los Angeles, zwischen einer Support-Tour für The National und ihren ersten Headline-Shows in Südamerika. Hier begann die Arbeit am neuen Album. Danach herrschte erst einmal Stille - als Band und untereinander. In den nächsten Jahren, in denen die Mitglieder an ihren eigenen Projekten arbeiteten, darunter auch Tonras Soloplatte als Ex:Re, trafen sich Daughter gelegentlich zum gemeinsamen Schreiben in Studios in London, Portland und San Diego, wo Haefeli 2019 für sechs Monate lebte. Die zentrale romantische Figur der Platte ist jemand, den Tonra dort kennengelernt hat, als sie aus London zu Besuch kam. Sie teilten eine bedeutende Verbindung, aber sie wusste, dass der Atlantik zwischen ihnen liegt. Daughter begann 2021 konkret mit den Aufnahmen für die zwölf Songs des Albums. Haefeli, der in Bristol lebt, traf sich mit Tonra in den Middle Farm Studios in Devon. Aguilella, der in Portland, Oregon, lebt, nahm seine Schlagzeugparts im Bocce Studio in Vancouver, Washington, auf. Haefeli produzierte eine Reihe der Songs, während Tonra "Junkmail" produzierte. Den Rest haben sie gemeinsam produziert. Die Sehnsucht, physische Entfernungen zu überwinden, ein Gefühl, das sich während der Pandemie noch verstärkt hat, ist in viele dieser Stücke eingeflossen. Auf "Wish I Could Cross the Sea" hören wir Sprachnotizen von Tonras junger Nichte und ihrem Neffen, die in Italien leben. "(Missed Calls)" enthält eine weitere Sprachnotiz, in der ein Freund einen Traum beschreibt. Gefüttert mit einigen modularen Effekten, klingt er geisterhaft eindringlich. Diese Nachrichten, Versuche einer Verbindung von geliebten Menschen, die man nicht sehen kann, "können einen aus dem Brunnen ziehen", sagt Tonra - aber nur, wenn man den Hörer abnimmt. Wenn man andere hereinlässt, kann Schönheit entstehen. Tiefes Gefühl kommt von den Bögen des 12 Ensemble, dem in London ansässigen Streichorchester, das bei vielen Stücken des Albums zu hören ist. Die von Haefeli und Tonra arrangierten und von Josephine Stephenson orchestrierten Stücke wurden, passenderweise, im The Pool aufgenommen, einem Raum in Bermondsey im Süden Londons, der eine ehemalige Badeanstalt war. Ein Blechbläserquartett verleiht auch "Neptune" und "To Rage" eine wohlig klangliche Wärme. Während Daughters frühere Arbeiten ihre Kraft in ihrer entwaffneten und emotionalen Ehrlichkeit fanden, handelt "Stereo Mind Game" von gegensätzlichen Gefühlen. "Es geht darum, nicht in absoluten Kategorien zu arbeiten", sagt Haefeli. Nach mehr als einem Jahrzehnt, in dem sie die dunkelsten Emotionen darstellten, haben Daughter ihr bisher optimistischstes und ein fast schon strahlendes Album aufgenommen.

Gegründet wurde Daughter von Sängerin Elena Tonra und Igor Haefli 2010 während ihrer Zeit an der Musikhochschule. Dort trafen sie auch Remi Aguilella, der später das Line-up komplettierte. 2011 veröffentlichten sie in Eigenregie die EP "His Young Heart" und wenig später "The Wild Youth" und in der Folge erspielten sich die drei eine große Fanbase in England. Auch auf dem Kontinent konnten sie bereits überzeugen: Beim Hamburger Dockville-Festival spielten Daughter 2012 vor über 5000 Zuschauern. Die im Herbst folgenden Konzerte in Hamburg und Berlin waren dann schon im Voraus ausverkauft - kein Wunder, betören Daughter das Publikum doch mit ihrer zauberhaften Musik. Mit "If You Leave" ist der Band nun ein eindrucksvolles Debütalbum gelungen, dessen intime Atmosphäre mitunter an das erste Album von The XX erinnert.